We didn't have a kitchen in our hotel, but we stayed at a Disney hotel and the chefs were fantastic! Disney All Stars Resort (value resort) has family suites with kitchenettes in them. I am pretty sure Art of Animation (also a value resort) has family suites as well. Those are pretty cheap and you get all the benefits of staying on Disney property. We've stayed at these places before (in regular rooms) and have great reviews. These are the best bet for kids as the hotels are themed with all their favourite Disney and/or Pixar characters.

Fort Wilderness has some cabins with kitchens. I haven't been to that particular hotel before and can't provide much information on those.

Lots of the higher end hotels at Disney have kitchenettes in some of their rooms.

Your best bet may be to call the Disney World Travel Co. and ask for the option that best suits your family and your price point.

There are also mini suites at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (pricey) - you can rent them for a reasonable rate if you purchase Disney Vacation Club points from someone. There are some travel agencies out there that facilitate this - PM me if you want the name of the one my friends use.

Otherwise, I don't know of anything off-site. Check DISboards for some great reviews.

_________________anaphylaxis to tree nuts and peanuts; asthmatic, dairy intolerant, vegan
other family members allergic to to dairy, egg, peanut, peach, banana, sesame, environmentals

We were just there in December! We rented a 2 br condo in the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas development (there are 2 of them - NOT the one on International Drive although it looks nice too ... the one we stayed at was really close to everything, it was right across from Downtown Disney) and our family LOVED it! Full kitchen so we prepared all of ds meals. We ate breakfast at the condo, got to the parks early, took only ds' lunch with us so we could pack fairly light, and then came home for dinner. It was close enough that we could go back out later if the parks were still open but we never wanted to - the pools were fantastic, there was lots to do and so we would go for a swim after dinner every night. It really was a dream vacation. Only on the last day did ds get brave enough to trust a Disney lunch - and the service was fantastic. Personal attention from the manager, delicious meal, all of it milk and tree-nut free. They have a separate fryer that they use to prepare fries for those with allergies.

We always rent places and Orlando is ideal as there are so many available. We usually use vrbo.com (vacation rental by owner) which is same company now as homeaway.com . We have rented houses and condos.

The 3 bedroom house with pool that we rented in Orlando cost the same as Disney's most basic room with 2 double beds and thin walls. Instead we had space and comfort, and quiet at night

_________________me: allergic to crustaceans plus environmental
teenager: allergic to hazelnuts, some other foods and environmental

Thanks for your responses!! I've been looking at the Sheraton Vistana - good to know that you liked it MomstoBunches. Are there a lot of activities that kids can do? We only plan on going to Disney for a few days.

I thougt about renting a house, but I think I want the resort-feel. Has anyone ever gone to the beach - St. Petes, or Pompano? We're thinking of doing one week in Disney and one week at the beach.

I've been looking at tripadvisor and getting so confused !! Some people love a hotel - others hate it! I thought I'd ask the forum and get some 'real' responses!!

Last time I travelled to Florida, I was staying with a friend who's room was booked through her conference so the hotel was picked without my input. I ordered an electric frying pan from Amazon to be delieverd to the hotel prior to our arrival. Between that, the complimentary microwave & coffee maker and the extra fridge that I requested from the hotel, we managed just fine. I brought my camping utensils and we stocked up on groceries at Whole Foods.
FYI-when they put the fridge in the room, check the thermostat. Often times they have it set on freeze. It's bot like a volume knob, it's a thermostat. I've learned after several frozen heads of lettuce.

There was always lots to do ... during the day they would have themed pool parties, some evenings there were movies by the pool or campfires with s'mores. There were bocce, beach volleyball and basketball courts nearby to play on as well as tennis - the resort truly has everything. The store on property is really nice as well. There was a Walgreens on the corner where we went for things "in a pinch" but otherwise we shopped for groceries at the Wal-Mart Supercenter 5 minutes down the road.

We visited Cocoa Beach and the Kennedy Space Centre as well as Disney and Universal. We stayed at the Sheraton for the entire vacation and rented a car to drive everywhere. The beach was only an hour away and it was easy to get there. It really was a home away from home. Parking was free at the hotel, and free at Downtown Disney as well.

I will say that a co-worker of mine had a time share week that was about to expire, so when she heard I was planning a trip she offered to let me have her week and we were able to use it at the Sheraton Vistana! I ended up getting a 2 br condo for 1 week for only about $100 per night. We then booked an extra 4 nights through the web. Even with the rental car it was way cheaper than going with a Disney hotel where you can't prepare any of your meals.

So after a lot of research I finally booked two hotels for our trip to Florida this summer. Both hotels have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a full kitchen, with oven. We will be staying at Marriott Grande Vista in Orlando and the Marriott Ocean Pointe in West Palm Beach.

Wow, boys mom, these places look amazing! Wishing you the very best trip! Are you flying? Or driving? Will you buy all your food down there, or take some trusted food with you? Can't wait to hear how it goes!

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